With his keynote “Nature and Climate: transformative approaches for adaptation and climate action”, Walter Jetz, the Scientific Chair of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, joined the High-Level Dialogue on Climate Action in the Americas Summit in September 2021. Coming on the heels of the IUCN World Congress where world leaders gathered to discuss biodiversity and climate, this summit focused on Central and South America with the aim to promote a high-level dialogue to jointly address the appropriate mechanisms to foster climate ambition in the Americas. Dr. Jetz, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Environment, Yale University, addressed what science tells us about the importance, urgency, and potential for Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) to address climate change and biodiversity conservation. His panel was moderated by Andrea Meza Murillo, Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica.
The summit was hosted by Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic, Barbados, and Columbia. The presidents of these nations, including US Climate Envoy John Kerry, COP26 President Alok Sharma, and Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Antonio Guterres provided messages in support of the theme, alongside attendees from these governments, the private and nonprofit sector, World Bank, International Development Bank, Natura, UNEP, the International Indigenous Forum, and Mission Blue.
